Harness.



PATENTELDOCT. 24, 1905.

R. G. BEGHBR.

UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE RUDOLF C. BECHER, OF FORT DODGE, IOWA.

HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed June 12,1905. Serial No. 264346.

Be t known that I, RUDOLF C. BECHER, a citizen oi' the United States oi'America, residing at Fort Dodge, in the county of Webster and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness, ofwhich the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming apart hereof.

This invention relates to improvements in harness, and has specialreference to cruppers, the object of the invention being to providemeans whereby the animaPs tail may be placed through the crupper Withoutdisturbing the position of the back-strap. This object is attained bythe use of such an arrangement as is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings; and the invention consists in certain novel features of thesame, as will be hereina'fter first fully described and thenparticularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a crupper anda portion of the back-strap of a harness embodying the invention, andFig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the endof the back-strap.

In carrying out my invention the body 1 of the crupper is constructed ofthe usual round ed style, and the shank or fork 2 of the same isconstructed of a strap formed into a bight 3 and having its ends sewedor otherwise se cured to the ends of the body. A ring 4, of leather orother material, is secured around the strap or cru pper-shank 2 close tothe bight 3, so that the same constitutes a small loop, as clearlyshown. The end of the back-strap is widened somewhat, and a hook 5projects up through an opening therein near the extremity thereoi', thesaid hook being provided with a long stern 6, extending along the underside of the backstrap. A covering 7, oi' leather, is secured to theunder side of the back-strap, so as to inclose the stern 6 of the hook,and the said stem may be riveted or otherwise secured to either theback-strap or the said covering. The end 8 of the hook is turned downtoward the shank of the same, so as to present a restricted opening forthe passage of the bight or loop 3 of the crupper, and consequentlyguard against the accidental displacement or release of the crupper.

It is now the common practice to make the crupper integral with orpermanently secured to the back-strap of the harness, and it is afrequent experience that after the harness has been placed over theanimal the back-strap will be forced or will' slip to one side when andwhile the tail is being brought into engagement with and through thecrupper. This slipping of the back-strap is very objectionable, as itnecessitates a readjustment of the harness, causing double work. Thenecessity of handling the tail of the animal to such an eXtent is alsodistasteful and disagreeable. These objections are all overcome by myinvention, as the harness is placed on the animal without the crupper,and after the back-strap is in place the crupper is slipped up on thetail and the loop at the end of the crupper-shank is engaged in the hookon the back-strap, thereby securing the crupper in position withoutdisturbing or requiring any handling of the back-strap. The constructionis simple and presents a neat appearance and can be made from shortpieces of leather, so as to eti'ect an economy of material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a harness, the combination of the back-strap, a hook carriedthereby, and an elongated endless crupper having one end arranged toengage over said hook.

2. In a harness, the combination of the back-strap, a hook projectingtherethrough and having a stern extending along the under side oi' theback-strap, a covering secured to the back-strap over the said stem, anda crupper having its end arranged to engage said hook.

3. In a harness, the combination of the back-strap, a hook carriedthereby, and a crupper having its sidcs fol-med into a bight to engagethe said hook, and a ring secured around the sides of the crupper nearthe bight end of the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLF C. BECHER.

Witnesses:

S. H. MAGOWAN, S. H. PoRTz.

IOO

